Some aspects of the Phoenix Park proposals which were given the green light yesterday by An Bord Pleanala, verge on the fantastic, some raise serious questions about whether the capital is not in danger of creating a cobweb structure of facilities that outruns public demand and threatens the viability of some that already exist. The laws of the free market presumably will take care of the survival or otherwise of specific enterprises - which is not itself a matter of concern to the planning authorities though it has much to do with the net effect on job creation. But in planning terms alone there is something quixotic about yesterday's decision.
The board itself has considerable reservations about the scheme, as is evident from the long and complex list of conditions that the proposers must observe. Can Sonas Centre meet them and still make a profit? It is an open secret that the company will not go ahead with the project unless the Government gives it permission to run the casino included in its plans. Revenue from this source is expected to justify the creation of a vast stadium and a new indoor sports arena, both of which have been subjected to restrictions and whose profitability for this reason may not be certain.
These considerations give some idea of the scale of business the casino is expected to generate. If things work out as Sonas hopes, the basis on which permission was granted yesterday the previous use of the area for sporting and recreational activities, i.e. the former race course - will be like the three card trick or spot the lady: for the sport and recreation that are proposed will be palpably different from anything that went on before.
Whether or not a casino exists in this State is another question. It cannot be treated as a moral issue, as that bridge was crossed long ago with the National Lottery, to say nothing of the traditional culture that underpins the bloodstock industry. Casinos, properly managed and regulated, are an adjunct to modern tourism that is widely accepted in other European states. If associated with some form of charity, they can be given a beneficial function. But - aside from the local objections raised by residents in the Phoenix Park area it is a different matter when they become the centre piece of an expensive and diversified entertainment complex, increasing the pressure to look for customers.
This is bound to change the character of a part of Dublin whose main attraction is the variety of possibilities that it offers to citizens. That aspect was given short shrift by An Bord Pleanala which thinks that other amenities would not be "seriously" affected, apparently overlooking the potential dynamism and in cremental nature of the proposed development. It is also not possible to ignore the likelihood that the carefully structured limitations imposed by the board will, in process of time, be eroded. In that case, any doubt about the choice of location or the threat to the environment and infrastructures of the park will be swept away, making clear the shortsightedness of yesterday's decision. By that time, however, it will not be possible to have second thoughts.